Berlin vs Austin: where does a corporate counsel save more?
Best for saving: Austin โ about $8,076/mo after taxes and living costs.
Berlin Germany | Austin US โ
Best for saving | |
|---|---|---|
| Median salary | $163,350 | $189,431 |
| Take-home / mo | $7,487 | $10,986 |
| Income tax | ~45% | ~30% |
| Living costs / mo | $2,333 | $2,910 |
| Savings / mo | $5,154 | $8,076 |
| Savings rate | 69% | 74% |
| Verdict | Excellent | Excellent |
Single professional, after-tax. "Savings" = take-home โ a baseline cost of living. A planning estimate, not financial advice.
How we calculated this
โข Salary: BLS/OECD median for a corporate counsel, adjusted per city.
โข Tax: each country's single-filer effective rate (e.g. Germany ~45%, US ~30%).
โข Living costs: a single professional's baseline monthly budget per city.
Estimates, not financial or tax advice. Updated 2026.